Maryland Math 3.GR.C.6
The Standard
Identify area as an attribute of a two-dimensional figure and measure area of rectangular space by counting square units (non-standard equal-sized units, square centimeters, square meters, square inches, square feet).
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · UNDERSTAND CONCEPTS OF AREA AND PERIMETER.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify area as the space inside a flat shape. They measure rectangular spaces by covering them with equal-sized squares and counting the squares.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student covers a rectangle with equal-sized squares, leaving no gaps or overlaps. They count each square once and label the area in square units, such as 12 square centimeters.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may count squares around the edge instead of squares covering the inside. They may use different-sized squares, count a square twice, or write inches instead of square inches.
How to Assess It
- Give students a 3-by-4 rectangle on a square-centimeter grid. Ask, “What is its area? Mark the squares you counted and write your answer with units.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs 1-inch paper squares and a 3-by-5-inch rectangle; have them cover it without gaps, then record its area.
Draw a 3-by-4 tiled rectangle and ask, “Why does counting squares along the edge not give its area?”
Play Cover and Count: partners draw rectangles on grid paper, count the squares inside, and check each other’s answers.
Cover a 4-by-6-inch photo with 1-inch paper squares to find the area of paper needed for a backing.
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Printable 3.GR.C.6 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.GR.C.6, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 3.GR.C.7.c
Determine the area of composite rectilinear figures by decomposing them into non-overlapping rectangles and adding the areas.
- 5.NOS.D.12.c
Find the area of a rectangle with fractional side lengths by tiling it with unit squares of the appropriate unit fraction side lengths and show that the area is...
- 3.GR.C.8
Identify perimeter as an attribute of two-dimensional figures and measure the distance around the outside of a figure by counting units or adding lengths.
- 5.GR.C.4
Identify volume as an attribute of three-dimensional figures and measure volume by counting cubic units (e.g., non-standard equal-sized units, cubic centimeters...
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